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State Legislators for Welcome

VFR invites state legislators to commit to supporting the following priorities that support refugee, immigrant, and asylum seeker communities in their state.

Voice for Refuge invites legislators to commit to supporting policies that protect and uplift refugee and immigrant communities in their state. Our goal with the Legislators for Welcome initiative is to open the door to new relationships and provide a way to celebrate the work being done around the country. 

Those who sign-on are indeed signing a commitment, and we, as well as our partners, plan to follow up and ensure that refugee and new American communities in those districts feel supported, heard, and considered. Accountability and change at the state level matters. Change happens across all levels of government, but state leaders have a personal opportunity and more direct responsibility in ensuring their states are building welcoming communities for all those looking to make a home in the United States.

State Legislators for Welcome Pledge

142 State Legislators to date

Representing 34 States & the District of Columbia

Committed State Legislators for Welcome

Last Updated August 23rd, 2023. State Legislators can join the pledge anytime to be included in the next update.

Alabama

Alaska
Senator Scott Kawasaki, District P
Representative Andy Josephson, HD 17

Arizona
Senator Priya Sundareshan, LD 18
Senator Eva Diaz, LD 22
Senator Brian Fernandez, SD 23
Senator Flavio Bravo, SD 26
Minority Whip Nancy Gutierrez, HD 18
Representative Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, HD 21
Representative Mariana Sandoval, HD23
Representative Cesar Aguilar, HD 26

Arkansas

California

Colorado
Senator Lisa Cutter, SD 20
Senator Tom Sullivan, SD 27
Representative Kyle Brown, Ph.D, HD 12
Speaker Julie McCluskie, HD 13
Representative Stephanie Vigil, HD 16
Representative Tammy Story, HD 25
Representative Chris deGruy Kennedy, HD 30
Representative Naquetta Ricks, HD 40
Representative Iman Jodeh, HD 41
Representative Elizabeth Velasco, HD 57

Connecticut
Representative Kate Farrar, HD 20
Representative David Michel, HD 146

Delaware

District of Columbia
Councilmember Charles Allen, DC Ward 6

Florida
Representative Anna V. Eskamani, HD 42
Representative Michele K. Rayner-Goolsby, HD 62
Representative Dotie Joseph, HD 108

Georgia
Representative Dr. Michelle Au, HD 50
Representative Eric W. Bell, II, HD 75
Representative Ruwa Romman, HD 97
Representative Marvin Lim, HD 98

Hawai’i
Representative Luke Evslin, HD 16
Representative Andrew Takuya Garrett, HD 22
Representative Amy Perruso, HD 46

Idaho

Illinois
Senator Cristina Castro, SD 22
Senator John Curran, SD 41
Representative Nabeela Syed, HD 51
Representative Daniel Didech, HD 59

Indiana

Iowa
Representative Elinor A. Levin, HD 89

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine
Senator Pinny Beebe-Center, SD 12
Hon. Lois Galgay Reckitt, HD 122

Maryland
Delegate Julie Palakovich Carr, HD 17
Delegate Jheanelle Wilkins, HD 20

Massachusetts
Representative Lindsay N. Sabadosa, 1st Hampshire
Representative Jack Patrick Lewis, 7th Middlesex
Representative Vanna Howard, 17th Middlesex
Representative Tram Nguyen, 18th Essex

Michigan
Senator Stephanie Chang, SD 3
Senator Sue Shink, SD 14
Representative Alabas Farhat, HD 3
Representative Erin Byrnes, HD 15
Majority Whip Ranjeev Puri, HD 24
State Representative Carrie Rheingans, HD 47

Minnesota
Senator Liz Boldon, SD 25
Senator Mary Kunesh, SD 39
Senator John Marty, SD 40
Representative Sandra Feist, HD 39B
Representative Peter Fischer, HD 44A
Representative Sydney Jordan, HD 60A,
Representative Samantha Sencer-Mura, HD 63A

Mississippi

Missouri
Representative Eric Woods, HD 18

Montana
Senator Andrea Olsen, SD 50

Nebraska

Nevada
Assemblywoman Erica Mosca, Ad 14

New Hampshire
Representative Carry Spier, Nashua Ward 3
Representative Linda J. Haskins, Rockingham 11/Exeter
Representative Bill Conlin, Strafford District 15

New Jersey

New Mexico
Senator George Muñoz, SD 4
Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, SD 17

New York
Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest, AD 57
Assemblymember Harvey Epstein, AD 74

North Carolina
Senator Jay Chaudhuri, SD 15
Senator Julie Mayfield, SD 49
Representative Ya Liu , HD 21
Representative Renee A. Price, HD 50
Representative Lindsey Prather, HD 115

North Dakota
Senator Ryan Braunberger, SD 10
Senator Tim Mathern, SD 11

Ohio
Representative Ismail Mohamed, HD 3
Representative Munira Abdullahi, HD 9
Minority Whip, Representative Jessica E. Miranda, HD 28

Oklahoma

Oregon
Senator Deb Patterson, SD 10
Senator Kasey Jama, SD 24
Representative Maxine Dexter, HD 33
Representative Dr. Hai Pham, HD 36
Representative Daniel Nguyen, HD 38
Representative Khanh Pham, HD 46

Pennsylvania
Representative Mike Schlossberg, LD 132

Rhode Island
Senator Meghan E Kallman, PhD, SD 15
Representative Enrique Sanchez , HD 9

South Carolina

South Dakota
Representative Kadyn Wittman, HD 15
Representative Linda Duba, HD 15
Senator Reynold F. Nesiba, SD 15

Tennessee
Representative Vincent Dixie, HD 54
Representative John Ray Clemmons, HD 55

Texas
State Senator Nathan Johnson, SD 16
Senator Morgan LaMantia, SD 27
Senator César J. Blanco, SD 29
Representative Gene Wu, HD 137

Utah
Senator Karen Kwan, SD 12
Senator Nate Blouin, SD 13
Representative Rosemary Lesser, HD 10
Representative Jennifer Dailey-Provost, HD 22
Representative Joel Briscoe, HD 24
Minority Leader Angela Romero, HD 25
Representative Brett Garner, HD 31
Representative Gay Lynn Bennion, HD 41

Vermont
Senator Martine Larocque Gulick, Chittenden Central
Senator Tanya Vyhovsky, Chittenden Central
Senator Andrew Perchlik, Washington
Senator Anne Watson, Washington
Representative Anne Donahue, Washington-1
Representative Mike Rice, Bennington-Rutland
Representative Theresa Wood, Washington-Chittenden
Representative Angela Arsenault, Chittenden-2
Representative Mary-Katherine Stone, Chittenden-14
Representative Barbara Rachelson, Chittenden-14
Representative Brian Cina, Chittenden-15
Representative Carol Ode, Chittenden-18
Representative Lori Houghton, Chittenden-22
Representative Karen Dolan, Chittenden-22
Representative Leonora Dodge, Chittenden-23
Representative Mary E. Howard, Rutland-6
Representative Avram Patt, Lamoille-Washington
Representative Peter Anthony, Washington-3
Representative Marc Mihaly, Washington-6
Representative Daisy Berbeco, Winooski
Representative Laura Sibilia, Windham-2
Representative Jim Masland, Windsor Orange-2
Representative Heather Surprenant, Windsor-4
Representative Esme Cole, Windsor-6

Virginia
Senator Creigh Deeds SD 25
Senator Suhas Subramanyam, SD 32
Delegate Alfonso H. Lopez, HD 3
Delegate David Reid, HD 28
Delegate Elizabeth Guzman, HD 31
Delegate Kaye Kory, HD 38
Delegate Kathy Tran, HD 42
Delegate Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, HD 45
Delegate Shelly A Simonds, HD 94

Washington
Senator Yasmin Trudeau, SD 27
Senator Jamie Pedersen, SD 43
Representative My-Linh Thai HD 41

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

State Legislators Who Said They Wouldn’t Sign the Commitment

  • Delegate Todd Longanacre, HD 47, West Virginia. 
  • Representative Travis Corcoran, Hillsborough-44, New Hampshire. 
  • Representative Matt Coulon, Gafton-5, New Hampshire. 
  • Representative Scott Cyrway, HD 63, Maine. 
  • Senator Lee Schoenbeck, SD 5, South Dakota

Don't see your state representative? Click to send a pre-written email to invite them to join the pledge.

Contact your State Representatives

Why Legislators Chose to Join, in Their Own Words

“Embracing refugees and immigrants reflects the American responsibility to aid those in need and protect them from violence and persecution. As a welcoming society, we recognize, respect, and appreciate the positive contributions refugees bring to their new home, fostering growth and harmony within our communities.”
Representative Iman M. Jodeh, House District 41, Colorado
"As an immigration attorney, one of the key reasons I ran for office was to ensure that state-level policies supported the immigrant and refugee communities. I have had the privilege to see up close the incredible contributions of these communities to Minnesota and to the United States and am pleased to sign this statement of solidarity."
Representative Sandra Feist, House District 39B, Minnesota
“As a former child refugee, I know firsthand how important it is that we welcome refugees. I am proud of the strides Virginia has made to be more inclusive of refugees and I will always support opportunities for refugees and New Americans to thrive.”
Delegate Kathy Tran, House of Delegates District 42, Virginia
“Refugees fleeing persecution and war for a better life for themselves, their families and their new home bring great benefit to us all. To deny refugees or immigrants and to turn them away at our border is simply un-American and un-Alaskan.”
Senator Scott Kawasaki, District P, Alaska
“Tennessee should be a welcoming state that encourages people of all walks of life to come here and feel free to live.”
Representative Vincent Dixie, House District 54, Tennessee
“As a public school teacher, I am lucky to have refugees and immigrants in my classroom. I have learned so much about resilience and determination from them. When we welcome them and learn from them, we are all better for it.”
Minority Whip Nancy Gutierrez, House District 18, Arizona
"I am honored to represent Vermont’s most diverse district, Winooski. We have many communities and cultures that are powerful and resilient. Winooski inspires others around the state to think beyond Vermont-specific issues. We push conversations beyond our borders to families and events and complex identities. As someone who has lived and worked in under-developed countries since 2007, and a MA in international development I remain committed to supporting and promoting a healthy future ripe with opportunities for refugees and immigrants across Vermont."
Representative Daisy Berbeco, Winooski District, Vermont
“Refugees and immigrants are invaluable to our communities. My mom spent years volunteering for a refugee support program and I know firsthand the positive impact they have on a community that embraces them.”
Representative Lindsey Prather, House District 115, North Carolina
“Minnesota is a welcoming state for all. Refugees and immigrants make our state better and everyone deserves a safe place to call home. I'm committed to building welcoming communities where everyone has what they need to thrive.”
Senator Liz Boldon, Senate District 25, Minnesota
“Not only am I a migrant, but my paternal and maternal families are themselves products of global migration. It is the most human and natural instinct to seek a better life, and our planet's history is full of tragic moments when angry people separate "insider" from "outsider." Our strongest moments, on the other hand, when we innovate, grow, and create partnerships, have been borne out of nurturing migrants and migrant cultures.”
Representative Leonora Dodge, District Chittenden-23, Vermont
“Arizona's 26th legislative district is home to many refugee communities and I am committed to making our state a place where refugee communities can thrive for generations to come.”
Senator Flavio Bravo, Senate District 26, Arizona
"America is an immigrant nation. It was built by immigrants and it is sustained by immigrants. As the State Representative for one of the largest refugee populations in our country, I have consistently championed America as a beacon of hope since my first election, and will continue to do so."
Representative Gene Wu, House District 137, Texas
"As the proud daughter of an Egyptian immigrant, I am fully devoted to ensuring we promote healthy, safe, and supportive environments for people like my father to thrive and flourish in."
Representative Mary-Katherine Stone, House District Chittenden 14, Vermont
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Interested in Joining the Pledge?

Are you an elected state representative currently serving a term in your state’s legislature? Submit a commitment form now or download and send back a completed commitment PDF.

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Voice for Refuge Action Fund is a first-of-its kind organization created to advance pro-refugee policies at the national, state, and local level, to hold elected leaders accountable and to support the election of pro-refugee candidates at all levels of government.​

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